Classes

September 12, 2013

In time for your Thanksgiving feast, Chef Maggie Cattell will teach you how to create show-stopping pies in this hands-on class that will have your family and friends sneaking another piece! Recipes include Sweet Potato Pie with Spiced Nut Crust, Chocolate Salted Caramel Tart, and Apple Pie. You will also learn Chef Maggie's secrets for making the perfect pie crust.

Chef Maggie would like students to bring an apron, chef's knife, and a small cooler with ice packs in which to take home their pies.

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ADVANCE REGISTRATION IS REQUIREDCLASSES GO FORWARD RAIN OR SHINEAGES 13 AND UP ONLY PLEASE

November 8, 2014 (Saturday) 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. $89 SOLD OUT!

Materials to bring to class: knife, apron. If you cannot bring these, we will provide them. For more information about how to prepare for class, CLICK HERE.

If the workshop dates don’t work for you, if the class is full, or if you’d like to request that another class be added, please email us at loveapplefarms@gmail.com and we’ll do our best to accommodate you!

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Chef Maggie Cattell is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy. She has worked in Paris with renowned Chef Christian Constant at restaurant Le Violon d'Ingres (one Michelin Star) as well as with Chef Douglas Keane at Cyrus Restaurant (two Michelin Stars) in Healdsburg, California. Maggie teaches private and public cooking classes, consults in sustainable food practices, and works to excite and educate the community about healthy food and fine cooking.

April 26, 2013

There are few jam makers in the world quite as skilled as Pim Techamuanvivit, and we are delighted that she is coming to teach her once-a-year jam class at Love Apple. This workshop will cover not only berry jams, but stone fruits as well.

Pim demos the best method for coaxing natural pectin out of the fruits (so that we won't have to add commercial pectin), safe uses of the delicious noyaux (the "stone" part of the fruits), and how to infuse herbs and spices to your jams (so that you can experiment with unique flavor combinations).

Plus, you'll get to take home jars of jams we finish in the class. You'll be learning from a true expert. Food maven Nigella Lawson has declared Pim's jams, "the best I've ever tasted."

Pim is no longer teaching at Love Apple. She has opened a restaurant in San Francisco called Kin Khao.

Pim Techamuanvivit, the author of the Foodie Handbook and the blog ChezPim, is a recognized leader in the jam-making world. A recipient of a Good Food award for her jams, Jeffrey Steingarten, food editor of Vogue Magazine, proclaims Pim's jams as "the best we've tasted."

February 02, 2013

Are your PG&E bills starting to look a little too costly? Ride the renewable energy wave! This beginner class will provide the basic expertise needed to get a small solar project up and running. We will look at simple systems including solar electricity, solar water heating, and small-scale wind systems.

The class will be divided into two parts. The first section will be a lecture that introduces students to the basic concepts and vocabulary of solar engineering. The second part will be a demonstration of how a solar-powered light should be installed in an outdoor setting (specifically, our chicken coop).

Some specific topics covered will be: building remote solar lighting systems, installing a solar pump for a pond, understanding various panel configurations (including stand-alone and grid-tied systems), solar food dehydrating, solar cookers, easy battery charging for laptops and phones (for when the power goes out), micro hydro, and micro wind. Today it is easy to purchase state-of-the-art solar components almost anywhere; more difficulty lies in understanding the design fundamentals. Come spend a few hours learning the basics from a professional so that you can bring the power of the sun into your yard, too!

Instructor Thomas Wittman has been using solar power in many various forms since 1982 when he lived in an “off the grid” community. He has also designed, lectured, and built systems for the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

ALL CLASSES ARE HELD RAIN OR SHINE!

ALL CLASSES REQUIRE ADVANCE REGISTRATION, EVEN FOR GIFT CERTIFICATE HOLDERS.

June 22, 2013 (Saturday) 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. $49 SOLD OUT!

If you'd like to be placed on the wait list, or be notified in case we add another Solar class, please email us at loveapplefarms@gmail.com

September 18, 2012

In this class you will learn how to make holiday garden wreaths using landscape trimmings available in your own backyard! The wreath is a symbol of continuity and renewal, a leafy green reminder of summer that pulls our homes and spirits through the depths of winter. Once you master the art of making wreaths, you will be happy to add it to your list of holiday traditions.

We will explore wreath construction in multiple phases: base, body, and decorations. You will start with loose landscape prunings and end with holiday masterpieces! Incorporating wreath-making into your yearly garden cycle also helps reduce your carbon footprint by replacing store-bought decorations with lovely, handmade ones. Woody herbs like rosemary, lavender, or bay laurel make especially fragrant and beautiful wreathes. You will never look at your landscape waste pile the same way again!

December 06, 2011

Get back to basics and let nature nourish you. In this workshop, you’ll learn how you can live cleaner, greener and healthier. Nature has the answers, and working with powerful aromatherapy essential oils extracted from plants can nurture you thoroughly -- body and soul.

You can soothe conditions, boost wellness, care for your face and body, create throughtful gifts, plus clean and disinfect your environment while having fun with uplifting, wonderful aromatics. Aromatherapy essential oils touch every sense, while providing you with powerful building blocks for well-being.

In this workshop, we’ll cover eight essential oils, including Lavender, Lemon, Eucalyptus, Geranium, Chamomile, Clary Sage, Rosemary, and Spruce. A materials fee of $25 is collected in class from each student and pays for a starter kit (2 ml each) of the discussed essential oils.

You’ll have fun sampling the essential oils and testing them in various ways while also learning pertinent scientific/chemical facts. You’ll also be shown practical and safe ways to incorporate aromamedicine into your everyday life. We discuss best sources, contraindications and extraction methods, plus dispel some important myths.

This introductory workshop, taught by an internationally certified aromatherapist, is designed to teach you all you need to know to get started with aromatherapy.

Rosemary “Dezi” DeSiervi received her international certification in aromatherapy from Dr. Kurt Schnaubelt of the Pacific Institute of Aromatherapy in June of 2001, and also studied at the Shirley Price Institute in the U.K. She continues to study with Dr. Kurt, attending his international conferences on aromatherapy where research papers are presented from leading industry professionals. She recently began developing her own aromatherapy products and markets them online at www.myhealingarden.com. Dezi is a holistic health educator and practitioner and has been teaching a semester-length aromatherapy course at West Valley College in Saratoga, CA, since 2003.

ALL CLASSES REQUIRE ADVANCE REGISTRATION, EVEN FOR GIFT CERTIFICATE HOLDERS.

October 13, 2011

In this workshop, Chef Kathy will share lots of great recipes that feature healthy, non-animal proteins. We will explore how to combine legumes and grains, nuts and greens into delicious main courses that provide complete protein nourishment.

She will demonstrate many ways to cook tempeh and tofu, as well as other plant-protein based dishes like: - collard quinoa dolmas with a roasted red pepper dip- tempeh reuben wraps- an esalen nut loaf with savory sauce.

NOTE: Each of the Proteins class features different recipes, techniques, and demoes, so previous students will get a continuing education.

You will go home with tons of new tricks and ideas to enrich your plant-based repertoire, and enough recipes to last you many, many Meat-Free Mondays.

ALL CLASSES REQUIRE ADVANCE REGISTRATION

Click on the date to register (gift certificate holders should register by emailing loveapplefarms@gmail.com):

October 28 (Sunday) 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. $55 SOLD OUT!

If you'd like to be added to the wait list or be informed in the event we add another class date, please email us at loveapplefarms@gmail.com.

August 29, 2011

Most of us are familiar with the crinkly, greenish black nori wrapped around sushi rolls, and the delicate, dark wakame that floats in miso soup, but if these are the only sea veggies in your life, you’ve just begun to scratch the surface! Chef Kathy Cummins will demonstrate vegetables like hijiki, kanten, arame, kombu, and dulse and teach us about the nutritional benefits and best culinary preparations of each.

You will learn how to make easy sushi rolls with nori, brown rice, and colorful veggies. Then on the agenda: a seaweed salad with a raw miso dressing, along with homemade gomashio (delicious, nutritious, Japanese salt-substitute blends). For dessert, we will make a jelly with fresh fruit and kanten (or agar agar), which is rich in calcium, iron, and fiber, and is kid-friendly to boot!

Seaweed is a sustainable, luscious, and highly nutritious food. In fact, Shape magazine just named it the "next big super food." It has been a vital part of the diets of coastal people for thousands of years. Seaweed is one of the most mineral-rich foods on the planet, containing virtually all the minerals found in the ocean. They are rich sources of calcium, magnesium, B vitamins, vitamin K, and fiber. Some even say that seaweed has the ability to rid the body of heavy metals and radioactive residue! So come spend an afternoon with Chef Kathy and let her teach you easy, fresh ways to incorporate these veggies into your everyday menus.

ALL CLASSES REQUIRE ADVANCE REGISTRATION

Click on the date to register (gift certificate holders should register by emailing loveapplefarms@gmail.com):

August 18, 2011

Did you know that you can keep bees in your backyard? Most normal-sized yards can play host to a hive of honey bees, and the folks who tend them enjoy honey, beeswax, royal jelly, and of course, the bees themselves. In fact, a healthy hive can produce several gallons of lovely, local honey every year.

These pollinators can be marvelously helpful by making fruits and vegetables more productive. Here on the farm, we keep bees not just because they help produce richer crops, but also because they are tremendously beneficial insects that are good for our neighbors and surrounding environment.

Come learn what it takes to keep a busy, productive hive of bees happy! Learn where to get your bees, how to set up and maintain the hive, and how to protect it from pests and disease. This is a beginner’s course, so you won’t need to bring any special equipment or supplies.

ALL CLASSES ARE HELD RAIN OR SHINE!

ALL CLASSES REQUIRE ADVANCE REGISTRATION, EVEN FOR GIFT CERTIFICATE HOLDERS

August 16, 2011

This class is all about exploring the healthy aspects of alternative beverages using traditional fermentation processes, fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Chef Kathy will be teaching us how to safely make kombucha and beet kvass, both centuries-old tonics thought to have cleansing effects on the immune and digestive systems. Both of these fermented drinks are said to promote longevity, keep sickness at bay, and bestow mental clarity upon those who regularly partake.

Chef Kathy will also show us how to make herbal tea tonics and holiday sparklers that will give your spirits a lift. Imagine champagne flutes filled with effervescent purple tonics, rimmed with glittering ginger sugar. Imagine bringing a steaming mug of sweet mint tea to a chilled loved one, or enjoying bottles and bottles of your own kombucha, flavored exactly to your tastes (think blueberries, raspberries, pomegranates, mangos). The beverage case at Whole Foods doesn’t have anything on these libations!

This class will arm you with powerful, delicious, immune-boosting tonics, just in time for holiday parties, as well as cold and flu season. Every student will go home with a nice packet of recipes, their own kombucha starter, and LOTS of inspiration for the season!

ALL CLASSES REQUIRE ADVANCE REGISTRATION

Click on the date to register (gift certificate holders should register by emailing loveapplefarms@gmail.com):

October 16, 2011 (Sunday) 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. $49 SOLD OUT!

Kathy Cummins is a Santa Cruz chef who specializes in the healthy applications and therapeutic exploration of whole foods. She has been the senior instructor at Bauman College’s Holistic Nutrition and Culinary Arts department for over ten years.

August 10, 2011

Learn to preserve the bounty of your apple trees by making apple cider! This is a great way to use less-than-perfect or blemished apples and those windfalls of fruit that are the blessings of autumn. Cider is a way to preserve apple juice naturally using the same fermentation process that is used to make wine.

"...hard cider was the favored beverage of America's founding generation. Beer makers may adorn their bottles with ale-swilling patriots, and aristocrats like Thomas Jefferson may have enjoyed imported wine. But cider was the drink of the people, from farmers to fighting men, and deservedly so. Good cider is light but not boring, complex but not dominating, satisfying but not sating." -- Slate.com

In this class, you will get to see how produce hard apple cider from start to finish. We will start by pressing cider apples in a hand-turned apple press and then proceed through the stages of fermentation, racking, and bottling. After this class, you should have the experience and know-how to make your own batches of cider at home, year after year.

If you (or a friendly neighbor) have a tree full of apples or any other fruit, don't let that bounty go to waste! The skills learned in this class can be used to make a variety of other fruit wines such as plum wine, berry wine, and more.

Note: Hard cider is an zero-emissions food product, as no heating is required to make it. We will be using sulfites for a more predictable outcome, but you can make your own cider without sulfites. Depending on the amount of sugar present in the apples, the alcoholic content of the end product will range from 6% to 11%.

ALL CLASSES REQUIRE ADVANCE REGISTRATION

Click on the date to register (gift certificate holders should register by emailing loveapplefarms@gmail.com):

July 11, 2011

At the beginning of this summer, the buzz among the Love Apple Farms staff and apprentices was that in July the farm would be hosting its first beer making class. Needless to say there was great anticipation leading up to this past Sunday, when most of us farmers assembled in the gardening classroom with 22 other students to learn how to brew at home.

We weren’t disappointed. Our teacher and expert home brewer Dave Bossie knew his beers inside and out, and his setup alone was impressive—a large keg he’d customized for brewing mounted on an enormous camping stove. He guided us through a brief history of beer making and microbrewing, then gave us a rundown of the basic equipment and ingredients (malted barley, hops, yeast, and water) needed to make our own ale and lager. Of course, we didn’t just learn the difference between these two primary beer styles—we tasted it as well.

While Dave set about brewing an ale in class—a demonstration that began with boiling six gallons of water in the converted keg—we sampled and discussed a variety of styles of beers. Dave and his wife both brew at their home in Ben Lomond, and the beers we tried included their delicious Smash IPA and smoked porter. As he boiled caramel malted barley and added three different types of hops, Dave told us about the many styles of beer he’s made over the years—and the close community of Santa Cruz home brewers who get together to share their latest creations. At the opening of class he’d warned us that beer making can easily turn into an all-consuming hobby, and by the end of the day, full of tasty homemade beer and breathing in the warm aroma of malted barley, we definitely believed him.

Thank you, Dave, for showing us how, and a big shout-out to Seven Bridges Cooperative. This Santa Cruz home brewing store is a real treasure for us locals!

June 17, 2011

Summer is the perfect time to hone your preserving skills; the farmer's market and your garden are exploding with squash, green beans, tomatoes and more! These summer vegetables are prime for preserving, and they offer a ray of sunshine in the dark, rainy months of winter.

This class is designed for the beginner home preserver as well as those who want to brush up on their skills or are unsure about the safety of certain methods. We will cover all of the basics from fairly simple tricks and techniques to the more intimidating and involved preserving processes.

Among the subjects we will cover in class are:

- Food Safety (your number one priority!) - Causes of food spoilage and how to avoid them - The right ingredients for preserving - Tools of the trade - Easy canning methods (jams, pickles and chutneys) - Preserving in oil - Preserving using simple fermentation *this will be a small section of this workshop. If you are interested in this topic, please see our Home Preservation: Cultured Foods class. - Pressure canning (it's not as scary as you think!)

If the workshop dates don't work for you, if the class is full, or if you'd like to request that another class be added, please email us at loveapplefarm@gmail.com to let us know and we'll do our best to accommodate you.

Love Apple Farm gift certificates can be used toward classes, seedlings and merchandise and are available for purchase here.

June 04, 2011

Our Homebrewing class gets you up and running on one of life's great joys: making your own beer. This is a wonderful hobby that allows lots of creative freedom while making your own beer at home. We will brew a batch of beer in class, finish another batch previously started, demonstrate bottling techniques, and have an in-depth beer tasting.

From Lagers to Ales, and IPAs to Pilsners, we will talk and learn about the fun art of beer making.

November 07, 2010

This class will familiarize you with the many options for providing heat and shelter for starting plants as well as growing plants in a greenhouse or cold frame. Beginning with a simple "cold frame" and building up to more sophisticated structures, basic building techniques and materials will be presented. Many kits will be reviewed as well as ways to build a substantial greenhouse from inexpensive materials you can get from a local lumber yard or recycle yard. Aspects such as finding the right site, venting, heating and cooling, as well as basic layout of the structure will be presented in a way that is comfortable for the non-builder or adventurous gardener.

Our instructor for this workshop is Thomas Wittman. He has been building greenhouses and garden structures for over thirty years on his own farm, the UCSC Arboretum and The Farm and Garden Project as well as privately contracted installations.

October 09, 2010

Meyer Lemon's are one of the Bay Area's most beautiful and fragrant produce. Whether you have your own Meyer Lemon tree or have a generous neighbor who does, cooking with this citrus gem is delicious and rewarding. This class will showcase this wonderful fruit in all of it's glory; sweet, savory, preserved and more.

Citrus is incredibly versatile in the kitchen, and Meyer Lemons are no exception to the rule. In this class with Pim Techamuanvivit of the incredibly popular food blog Chez Pim, she will take you step by step through a variety of recipes, leaving you prepared to master the Meyer Lemon in your own kitchen.

Pim will show you how to prepare a simple preserved lemon, then whip up a delicious Moroccan chicken tajine with it. Next will be a demo on making lemon curd to use in a tangy, sweet French lemon tart, and jar up the rest for scones or toasts later. Also on the agenda is a decadent lemon yogurt cake, and you’ll learn how to dress it up for a posh trifle. We’ll also learn how to create Meyer lemon marmalade, which will make lovely holiday gifts for some special (and lucky) people in your life.

Pim is no longer teaching at Love Apple. She has opened a restaurant in San Francisco called Kin Khao.

Pim is the author of The Foodie Handbook: the (almost) definitive guide to gastronomy (Chronicle Books 2009). Her popular blog, Chez Pim, chronicles her globetrotting adventures –and misadventures- in the world of all things edible, from her own kitchen in Northern California, to the vibrant street-side fares in Asia, and the refined world of Three Michelin Star restaurants in Europe. Raised in a family of foodies in Bangkok, Pim comes from a diverse and wonderful culinary background. Pim's recipes, writings, and photography have appeared in the New York Times, Food & Wine Magazine, and Bon Appetit magazine. The Guardian UK ranked Chez Pim one of the world's 50 most powerful blogs. Fast Company also named Pim one of the most influential women in Technology in 2010.

As are all of our future workshops, this class will be held at Love Apple Farm's new location, 2317 Vine Hill Road, Santa Cruz, CA.

September 11, 2010

Among all of the projects that brave home cooks take on in the privacy of their own kitchens, cheese-making seems to be one of the more intimidating and avoided. There are cultures, temperatures and butterfat percentages to consider... right? Don't worry, if you've ever baked a cake, you can master cheese-making. It's a great skill to add to your repertoire, and homemade cheeses are versatile and easily customized to your particular liking. Cheese-making is also a fun and rewarding process that the whole family can participate in, and it's a great learning experience for kids and adults alike!

This workshop will focus on three basic soft cheeses which are easy to recreate at home - chevre, feta and mozzarella. It's hard to believe that such delicious cheeses can be made so simply, but after you taste your first batch of fresh cheese, you'll never feel the same way about the store-bought stuff.

Students will leave with basic cheese-making knowledge and skills as well as resources for finding fresh, local milk and cheese-making tools. This is a hands-on class!

Please read our cancellation policy in case you are not able to attend your scheduled class. If the workshop dates don’t work for you, if the class is full, or if you’d like to request that another class be added, please email us at loveapplefarms@gmail.com and we’ll do our best to accommodate you!

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive information about new classes, planting tips, free give-aways, and more exclusive content.

Love Apple Farms gift certificates can be used towards classes, seedlings, and merchandise. They are available for purchase here.

January 25, 2010

Anyone who has grown great tomatoes (or even not-so-great) can attest to the fact that staking them properly is a challenge. I've found no commercially-made tomato cage that can hold a 10 foot plant. And yes, my tomatoes regularly get above and beyond 10 feet.

Don't let the size of these plants in the photos fool you. I took these pics before the tomatoes grew so big as to make the cage hard to see.

This Love Apple Farm workshop shows you how to make and use what I call "proper" tomato cages. These babies are 7 feet tall and two feet wide.

You may take the class and learn how to do it yourself, which is $20 per person. Most folks, however, want to take advantage of my discount price that day, and take home the tomato cages we make during class.

I usually charge $15 each for these mondo cages, which will last for decades. But for one day only, class day, people can make and take the cages for $12 each. We all help in the cage-making that day. I require advance notice of how many cages you'd like to help make and buy.

You need not buy any cages to attend the class. Regardless, you'll need to register in advance by clicking the "Pay Now" button below. If you'd like to take away cages, let me know a week before the workshop by emailing me the number of cages. You can pay for your cages "at the door."

SORRY, WE NO LONGER OFFER THIS CLASS. PLEASE CONSIDER PURCHASING THESE EXACT SAME TOMATO CAGES, ALREADY MADE, FROM KEENEY FAMILY FARM IN THE SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS OF CENTRAL, COASTAL CALIFORNIA.

January 16, 2010

Tamara O'Kelly attended a Love Apple Farm class last year, and I wanted to share her inspiring photos of how she was able to transform her back yard into a showpiece kitchen garden. All of these photos are of Tamara's garden, located in Boulder Creek, CA. I'm so proud of her! Hi Cynthia!

I took your "Grow Better Veggies" class and thought I'd send you some
before and after shots of my garden so you could see how well I paid attention
in class! So, here is my story.

In the beginning...there was an asphalt driveway...and the hungry gardener
said, "Let there be veggies!" and she and a friend separated the asphalt
from the soil. And it was so. The compost truck arrived, the raised
beds were built and the deer fencing erected. It took her MONTHS, not
seven days. Even though the seedlings were planted late, the sun shone on
them and they grew and were fruitful. So fruitful, that now the
hungry gardener is no longer hungry and neither is anybody else in the
neighborhood, including the resident chickens and goats!

Walking through my garden and "grazing" is no less than a biblical
experience for me (pardon the pun)...I am in heaven eating all of the yummy,
organic heirloom veggies that I started in your class. I have devoted most of my spare time to learning about Biodynamic
gardening and learn something new everyday and share as much of that with others
as I can. I'm now focusing on learning how to schedule my seed sowing and
crop rotation so that I can be as productive as possible all year long. The learning curve is always tougher in the beginning!

Thank
you for such an inspiring class and for getting me off on the right foot!
I've never had such success before!

November 08, 2009

Take advantage of our mild California Bay Area climate to get your vegetable garden up and productive for the season! Why wait for summer to start harvesting your own healthy and organic produce?

This class will teach you what's possible to grow and pick in early spring. You will be able to plant and sow in February and March, then start to pick your bounty in April. Learn sustainable organic techniques that will let you seamlessly integrate your early spring vegetable garden into your summer plantings of warm-weather lovers.

We will discuss lettuces, spinaches, chards, bok choy, tatsoi, carrots, turnips, radishes, snow and shelling peas, mustard, mizuna, cress, kale, and other quick-growing veg that will tide you over til the warm weather hits. This class differs from our Winter Vegetable Gardening Class, as it only concentrates on quick, cool-weather plants that you will be able to put in now and harvest in the spring.

Every student gets to sow a flat of seeds to take home to tend along with instruction on how to grow them out.

In addition to the culture requirements of each of the vegetables, the topics covered in class will include: bed preparation, heat and light requirements, frost control, germination tricks, companion planting, organic pest control, fertilizing, and harvesting techniques.

ALL CLASSES ARE HELD RAIN OR SHINEALL CLASSES REQUIRE ADVANCE REGISTRATION

September 04, 2009

Come to Love Apple Farms and learn all about backyard chickens, then take home baby chicks! Even city dwellers can keep a few laying hens in their yards. Most city ordinances allow it. Students will take home three live chicks - after learning how to care for them. Class participants also receive a brooder starter kit containing heat lamp system, feeder, waterer, bedding, and chick feed.

You will receive plans on building a simple yet predator-proof coop. You need not build the coop prior to class; your chicks will be fine with your take-home brooder kit until a proper coop can be built. You will have about a month after you take home your chicks before you will need a coop.

You will receive female chicks (they do not crow) and each one will lay a different colored egg: green, white, or brown. Hens do not require a rooster in order to lay eggs.

If you'd like more than three chicks, it may be possible to purchase more on the day of the class. Three laying hens make up a pretty good flock for a family of four, and should give about two dozen eggs a week. Space is limited. There will only be 25 brooder kits/chick flocks available.

To read a couple of testimonials from our past chicken keeping students, click here and here.

Additional family members are welcome to accompany a full-tuition student at a cost of $20 each, payable after the first student signs up (we will send you a link when we confirm your primary registration). We encourage family members to attend (even children), as then everyone will learn how to care for the chickens. Of course, the full-tuition student is the only one taking home chicks, coop plans, waterer, feeder, chick starter feed, shaving, heat lamp and bulb.

Materials to bring to class: a very small cardboard box to take chicks home in (about 6" square). If you cannot bring these, we will provide them. For more information about how to prepare for class, CLICK HERE.

Please read our cancellation policy in case you are not able to attend your scheduled class. If the workshop dates don’t work for you, if the class is full, or if you’d like to request that another class be added, please email us at loveapplefarms@gmail.com and we’ll do our best to accommodate you!

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive information about new classes, planting tips, free give-aways, and more exclusive content.

Love Apple Farms gift certificates can be used towards classes, seedlings, and merchandise. They are available for purchase here.

June 12, 2009

This is a hands-on seminar on backyard tomato growing. Learn the latest techniques for fertilizing, pruning, and soil amending for maximum production, health and taste. Yes, you CAN help your tomatoes taste better. Yes, you CAN achieve results to make even your most doubting relatives and neighbors envious.

2013 was particularly challenging with a cool season delaying ripening and a new pest decimating tomatoes (thrips!). Come learn how to deal with these issues to get a jump on it for next season (don't wait until it's too late!)

Cynthia Sandberg, a recognized expert in tomato growing, will take you through the garden and discuss her tips and tricks to help you grow better tomatoes. You need not have experience growing tomatoes to get a lot out of this class.

May 28, 2009

Irma Rombauer, the author of Joy of Cooking, wrote in her chapter on Canning: "It is a thrill to possess shelves well stocked with home-canned food. In fact, you will find their inspection - often surreptitious - and the pleasure of serving the fruits of your labor comparable only to a clear conscience or a very becoming hat."

Unfortunately, the Canning and Preserves chapters of current editions of Joy of Cooking have been removed in favor of more modern culinary techniques and interests. We think that's a shame. Gone are the neat line drawings of pressure cookers and Mason jars. One can't ogle a diagram of how to skin a squirrel or find a recipe of how to cook an armadillo (We are not making that up). These are definitely lost arts.

The art of jam making doesn't have to be lost on you, however. Here at Love Apple Farm you can learn this fun and satisfying craft. We will make several kinds of jam during the workshop, utilizing a couple of different methods. Students will take home a few jars of jam that we process in class.

Materials to bring to class: knife, apron. If you cannot bring these, we will provide them. For more information about how to prepare for class, CLICK HERE.

If the workshop dates don’t work for you, if the class is full, or if you’d like to request that another class be added, please email us at loveapplefarms@gmail.com and we’ll do our best to accommodate you!

May 26, 2009

As people come to the garden to look around, one of their most frequently asked questions is about the drip irrigation system we use.

When Love Apple first started out, there were many different configurations and types of equipment used to irrigate the beds. After installing and testing thousands of feet of line and hundreds of emitter heads, we found a system that works for any type of vegetable garden and for all seasons. Our system even works for raised beds and container gardens.

One of the great things about our irrigation method is that it's simple. Any one who has opposable thumbs and the ability to kneel can do it!

We show you how to install a system from the spigot out to the garden. You do not need special, dedicated water pipes for this. Bit by bit, fitting by fitting, we install the system as you watch and learn. We even get you involved, hands on, to show that YOU CAN DO IT!

We reveal who our commercial-grade parts suppliers are, give you a detailed parts list, as well as discount coupons from one of our trusted sources (available to our workshop students only).

ALL CLASSES ARE HELD RAIN OR SHINE!

ALL CLASSES REQUIRE ADVANCE REGISTRATION, EVEN FOR GIFT CERTIFICATE HOLDERS.

"Thank you again, I enjoyed the class yesterday; it will support and refine my already irrigation process, and I plan to change the way I am now doing it, and the water times were educational. I enjoy visiting Love Apple Farm, you have a great place..." -- Rene D.

"I just want to tell you how much my husband and I enjoyed your class on drip irrigation today. I am already planning to add extra boxes for next spring and Dan is looking over the Dripworks catalog. I also want to let you know that our 3 chicks are doing well in the corner of our garden. Here is my new favorite thing to do: enjoy a gin and tonic every afternoon after work and watch the hens scratch away. You are a great teacher! (I am a first grade teacher and I really admire your no BS way of conducting your class!) Dan and I will return for more classes as soon as we've figured out the drip irrigation! Thank you again for an enjoyable day!" -- Jennifer D.

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If the workshop dates don’t work for you, if the class is full, or if you’d like to request that another class be added, please email us and we’ll do our best to accommodate you!

Love Apple Farms gift certificates can be used towards classes, seedlings, and merchandise. They are available for purchase here.

March 02, 2009

Whether you want to grow tomatoes in hanging baskets, like I'm showing off above, or you want to utilize a small space, our Container Vegetable Gardening class is the workshop for you. Learn all about how to successfully grow vegetables in containers. It's harder than it looks! From the proper potting soil to use, to a plethora of available container options, we also investigate space requirements, sunlight needs, the all-important fertilizing, and companion planting for maximum yield and results.

We will be focusing on different vegetables depending on the date of the class -- more warm-weather loving ones in the spring and more winter-hardy types in the fall.

This workshop is ideal for: - Renters who need to take their gardens with them when they move. - Those who have gopher problems. - Plots with poor soil or other disease issues. - Apartment dwellers who don't have any ground to grow in. - Folks with large decks who would like to grow vegetables in pots rather than the standard landscape container plants.

If the workshop dates don’t work for you, if the class is full, or if you’d like to request that another class be added, please email us at loveapplefarms@gmail.com and we’ll do our best to accommodate you!

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What class participants say:

"I just wanted to thank you for the great container gardening class. I really learned a lot and feel like I could get started. I took a class at another location and yours really was so much more helpful and inspiring." -- Shiela V.

December 13, 2008

This is a vegetable garden-landscape design-construction workshop. Learn how to site your vegetable beds for maximum efficacy by taking into consideration factors such as climate, season, and sun exposure. You will learn numerous approaches to bed design, including methods that use straw wattles, recycled concrete, lumber, and cinderblocks.

You will also receive valuable information on what to fill your newly constructed beds with and how to do it properly. Not all soil is alike! We've got supplier recommendations for you that will save you money and give you maximum results due to superior soil fertility.

Topics also covered in class:

Starting out: Learn how to install a vegetable garden on any surface, from an existing lawn to concrete.

Bed sizes: Proper sizing is important, from their height to their width. You want maximum workability and comfort to you, the gardener.

Paths: Considerations of path materials, cost, and efficiency.

Holding in your soil: From various types of lumber, to many other hardscape materials, learn what you can do and how to save money doing it.

Filling your new beds: Top soil varies in vitality and useability. Learn how to get a deal and the best start for your new plants.

Other important elements: Where are you going to put your hobby greenhouse? Compost pile? Worm bin? Do you have space for a small chicken coop or beehive? Where is the best place to put these important structures?

All these questions and more are explored in detail at this exciting workshop. Even if you've got an existing garden, it's not too late to tweak it into perfection!

ALL CLASSES ARE HELD RAIN OR SHINE!

ALL CLASSES REQUIRE ADVANCE REGISTRATION, EVEN FOR GIFT CERTIFICATE HOLDERS

December 12, 2008

Using your own home-made compost is the single best thing you can do to increase your garden's fertility, ward off pests, and keep diseases at a minimum. Worm castings have also been shown to be a similarly powerful tool. Great gardeners will have both an active compost bin and worm bin up and running at all times. They know the benefits to their garden are enormous. Using your own compost and worm castings will also drastically cut down on the amount of soil amendments, fertilizers, insecticides and fungicides that an organic gardener usually needs to purchase to maintain their vegetable plot.

Come to Love Apple Farm and learn what these benefits are, how to properly build a compost pile (we build one ourselves during class), learn how to harvest it and use it on your garden.

The second half of the workshop is devoted to vermiculture: how to start, maintain, and use to full benefit a proper worm bin. See how we feed our worms, harvest the castings, and even make a fabulous worm tea for use as a supplemental fertilizer.Students will take home a worm bin, complete with starter worms!

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ALL CLASSES REQUIRE ADVANCE REGISTRATION, EVEN FOR GIFT CERTIFICATE HOLDERS

Materials to bring to class: compostable materials.If you cannot bring these, we will provide them. For more information about how to prepare for class, CLICK HERE.

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Please read our cancellation policy in case you are not able to attend your scheduled class. If the workshop dates don’t work for you, if the class is full, or if you’d like to request that another class be added, please email us at loveapplefarms@gmail.com and we’ll do our best to accommodate you!

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive information about new classes, planting tips, free give-aways, and more exclusive content.

If the workshop dates don’t work for you, if the class is full, or if you’d like to request that another class be added, please email us and we’ll do our best to accommodate you!

Love Apple Farms gift certificates can be used towards classes, seedlings, and merchandise. They are available for purchase here.

December 11, 2008

This class will teach you the basics of growing your own herb plants from seed. You take home a sown flat of your choice of herb seeds to tend. Learn the soil, light, warmth, fertilizing, and climate requirements for the basic culinary herbs: basil, chives, oregano, rosemary, marjoram, tarragon, thyme, parsley and cilantro. We will also discuss some of the more esoteric herbs such as dill, savory, salad burnet, shiso, stevia, lavender, sorrel, bronze fennel, anise hyssop, mints, chamomile, catnip, borage, lovage, lemon balm, and more.

We will sow a tray of herbs for you to take home, divide and pot up already-growing herbs here at the farm, and take cuttings for rooting of other perennial herbs. The value of the plants propagated in this class for you to take home is potentially $150.

December 10, 2008

Learn how to grow your own pepper and eggplant seedlings. Sow and take home a flat of up to 48 different types of peppers and eggplants. Choose from our seed bank of over 100 kinds of these delectable nightshades to sow and bring back to your garden and give to friends.

Peppers and eggplants can be difficult to start from seed, but this class teaches you everything you need to know. It is also scheduled in winter, as these tomato relatives can take quite a long time to get going before the weather is hospitable enough to plant them in your garden in April or May.

August 25, 2008

Due to popular demand, I am adding another two more dates for my Winter Vegetable Gardening class. It will be Sunday, September 7, 2008. Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Update! Two MORE class dates added:

Tuesday, September 23, and

Saturday, October 4.

10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. both dates.

The September 7 and the September 13 classes are FULL.

Learn how to start and tend a winter
vegetable garden. Growing a garden in winter is possible with our mild
California climate. Winter gardens are not just limited to greens and
cabbage. We will discuss over 20 different kinds of winter vegetables,
and sow a flat to take home to tend and transplant.

Learn
how to battle the cold temps, bed preparation, winter pest and disease
issues, as well as the critical sow dates for winter crops. This class
is held in late summer, as that is the proper time to start a winter
vegetable garden from seed.

Tuition: $45

Materials Fee: $20

The class is held at Love Apple Farm, 9299 Glen Arbor Road, Ben Lomond, CA. It's about a 45 minute drive from San Jose. Students have come from all over the Bay Area, as well as the central valley.

To register for any class or to ask a question about a class, email Cynthia at loveapplefarm@gmail.com

June 30, 2008

Learn how to start and tend a winter vegetable garden. Growing a garden in winter is possible with our mild California climate. Winter gardens are not just limited to greens and cabbage. This is an intensive, all-day workshop. We will discuss over 30 different kinds of winter vegetables.

Everyone gets to sow a flat from our seed bank to take home to tend and transplant.

Learn how to battle the cold temps, bed preparation, winter pest and disease issues, as well as the critical sow dates for winter crops. The earlier in the season you get going, the better, as you need to sow some crops in late summer for winter growing.

Please read our cancellation policy in case you are not able to attend your scheduled class. If the workshop dates don’t work for you, if the class is full, or if you’d like to request that another class be added, please email us and we’ll do our best to accommodate you!

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive information about new classes, planting tips, free give-aways, and more exclusive content.

If the workshop dates don’t work for you, if the class is full, or if you’d like to request that another class be added, please email us and we’ll do our best to accommodate you!

Love Apple Farms gift certificates can be used towards classes, seedlings, and merchandise. They are available for purchase here.

" We've taken your summer veg and winter veg classes. They were invaluable. I really can't thank you enough for those workshops. The knowledge and inspiration you gave us has changed the way we relate to food, the way we eat, and even the way we feel about our home. Growing and cooking our own food is deeply satisfying and nurturing -- and not just for us. My co-workers have been treated to a whole lot of pumpkin bread, muffins, and risotto, thanks to that first summer veg class!" -- Andrea

"Cynthia, I am an experienced gardener and I enjoyed your class immensely. Other people who know you also appreciate and praise your work and your sharing! You put a lot of thought into preparing for classes. Thank you for all the materials, suppliers, new veggies, tips! You are doing a terrific job with the farm and you are an inspiration to me." -- Inani

"Great class! I came away with some great plans for my garden. Your style is great! You don't intimidate us and we feel free to ask questions." -- Rick

"I really felt that you had great information on winter gardening. I feel so inspired." -- Carolyn

"I thought the class was great. This is now my second class I have taken with you (tomato seed class). The class moved along in a timely fashion, was interesting throughout and filled with tons of valuable information. I will definitely continue on with your classes. Thanks for offering them!" -- Cherie

January 26, 2008

Learn how to sow and care for young tomato seedlings! Participants choose from over 125 varieties of heirloom tomatoes from Love Apple Farm's specialty seed bank. We sow them in seed flats and soil (supplied), while receiving direction and instruction on proper soil to use, heirloom variety selection for your individual growing conditions, germination requirements, care after seedlings emerge, proper transplanting techniques, and more. Students take home a sown flat of up to 48 different varieties of tomatoes with the potential for a total of 150 live plants (that's a value of $600). Plenty for your garden and as gifts for your friends, too! Tomato seeds sown in these classes will be ready for your spring planting. Classes limited to those 12 years and older. Read a nice review of our tomato class from local gardener, Joe Hewitt.

"Just wanted to tell you again how much I enjoyed your Tomato Seedling Class. This was the first time I've had any success with seeds and, while raising those little guys was certainly time consuming, it was very rewarding. I think I only ended up losing one seedling and that was because I accidentaly dropped a grow light on it …ooops. Needless to say, I had a LOT of little plants at my house. In fact, after setting aside about twenty plants for myself and giving away a bunch to friends and family, I still had over 100 plants. So, I donated the excess plants to my grandson's pre-school for their fund-raiser." -- Jan K.

"I took your seed class in February and have had great success with my seedlings. I'm still farming them out to neighbors and family in Sonoma, Los Gatos, and Pleasanton -- always spreading your words and good advice for their success." -- Judy D.

"I had fantastic luck with the seeds we started in your seminar -- practically every one came up and and I shared dozens of seedlings with my friends." -- Teri M.